The use of jack stands for maintaining the upright position of a two-wheeled vehicle during periods of non-use of the two-wheeled vehicle is common. Various types of jack stands have been described including those in U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,347 to Cline, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,848 to Silva, Des. 294,014 to McMurtery, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,472 to Pletscher.
Recently, there has been an increase in use of the two-wheeled vehicles, especially non-motorized foot powered scooters. The reason for the increase in use of these types of scooters has been due to the size of these scooters and their popularity because these foot powered scooters are adjustable and they can be folded into a compact positions. Riders are able to use the scooters for short distances, fold the scooter into a compact assembly during commute in public transportation and quickly assemble the scooter after the public transportation ride for getting to their home or office.
Furthermore, the existing jack stands are attached to their two-wheeled vehicle in a fixed position and cannot be placed in various positions. This poses difficulties for the users who may be either right footed or left footed or would have an easier time manipulating the jack stand if it were on the front or back of the two-wheeled vehicles.
Finally, often when children are not riding their scooters, the scooters are left on the ground surface making the scooters dirty or laid against automobiles, doors, or home interior walls where the surface of the automobile, doors, or home interior walls are scratched causing damage.
Therefore, a first objective of the invention is to provide a jack stand that can be placed in various positions along the length of the two-wheeled vehicle such that manipulation of the jack stand by foot is easiest and most convenient for both left footed and right-footed riders.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a jack stand that is quickly released from the scooter for storage of the scooter during periods of non-use.
A quick release jack stand assembly for releasable attachment to the foot board of a scooter wherein the jack stand assembly further comprises a side bracket having a scooter engagement track, wherein the scooter engagement track substantially conforms to the shape of the scooter footboard, the scooter engagement track further comprising a releasable attachment mechanism device for securing the scooter foot board to the scooter engagement track of the jack stand assembly; and a prop bar for engaging a ground surface when the scooter is to be maintained in an upright position when the prop bar is in a down rest position. In an embodiment, the scooter engagement track is slidable along the length of the scooter footboard when the attachment mechanism is in a release position and can be positioned along any portion of the scooter footboard.
In yet another embodiment, the scooter engagement track has an inner lip elongate, a track member elongate, and an outer lip elongate. In another embodiment, the inner lip elongate, outer member elongate, and track member elongate substantially form an open triangle. In another embodiment, the inner lip elongate, outer member elongate, and track member elongate substantially form a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shape.
In a preferred embodiment the scooter engagement track has a threaded bore and a threaded set screw wherein during attachment of the jack stand assembly to the scooter foot board, the scooter foot board is inserted into the scooter engagement track, the inner lip elongate of the scooter engagement track buttressing against a bottom side of the scooter foot board and the outer lip elongate of the scooter engagement track buttressing against a top side of the scooter foot board.
In this embodiment, the jack stand assembly is releasably attached to a right side or left side of the scooter footboard. In a preferred embodiment the jack stand assembly is releasably attached to any portion along the length of the side of the scooter footboard. In a preferred embodiment, the bumper connected to the prop bar has a ground surface contact area between 0.25 and 21 square centimeters. In a more preferred embodiment, the bumper has a ground surface contact area between 1 and 10 square centimeters.
In an embodiment, the prop bar has an axel end and a stand arm. In a preferred embodiment, the axel end and the stand arm form a 90-degree angle. In an embodiment an up rest position is 180 degrees opposite from the down rest position.
In a preferred embodiment the prop bar rests in three positions. Preferably, the third rest position is 90 degrees from the down rest position and 270 degrees from the up rest position. In another embodiment, the prop bar rests in four positions. In this embodiment, the fourth rest position is 270 degrees from the down rest position and the 90 degrees from the up rest position.